I'm Glad it Happened This Way
by Ivyclimb of MoonClan
Summary: Prompt for Gone's forum. Hope you like it!


Bitter Wind challenge

My cat: Nettlebreeze

_Witch way to turn? _Nettlebreeze zipped around the corner coming to face two paths veering off in either was in ThunderClan territory, and was uncertain about their land. The falling snow was slowing him down, and his bloody paw's left red prints in the ground show what way he went.

Shuddering and shaking his fur, he veered off to the right.

He felt his front paws slip on ice, and he skidded to a halt on the edge of a cliff. Four warriors appeared, sneers plastered on their faces. "You'll pay for killing Mistynight," one sneered.

Nettlebreeze took a step back, and his back paw slipped, he dug his claws into the ground and hulled himself back onto the cliff. "You should be glad I killed that monster. Someone had to do it, why not me?"

"Because you are the enemy." Another answered taking a step forward. Lunging, a black tom, Nettlebreeze recognized as Blackmoon, came hissing at him. Nettlebreeze did the only thing he could think of, he spun around and jumped.

Nettlebreeze closed his eyes and ran through what he had just done in his head….

It had been a good day, Nettlebreeze was ordering patrols, his legs itching to run in the open moor.

He heard Rabbitstar call his name. He swung his head and followed his leader into his den.

The rest came to a black blur as Nettlebreeze's body landed on the ground with a loud thud.

His vision cleared and he lay in a heap of moss, the scent of herbs clinging to his pelt. His body ached, and pain shot through his head as he tried to get up.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." The voice came behind him.

"And why not?" he grumbled back, trying to catch a glance of the mystery cat.

"Because you have many broken bones that need a chance to heal."

"I want to be back in my Territory. WindClan needs me."

"You won't go anywhere until you're healed. Until then you will remain under my rules here at ThunderClan. Now try to get some rest, here eat this." The cat shoved poppy seeds down his throat and he felt himself drifting off into sleep.

Nettlebreeze awoke to a cat gently prodding him awake. "mph?" he mewed, lifting his head. A blurry vision of a small red she-cat came into view.

"Good you're awake," the cat was mewing.

"Who're-"

"I'm Cherrypool, ThunderClan's medicine cat. Now you need to speak to Lilystar so get up."

Nettlebreeze shook his head. "Are you crazy? You told me that I had many broken bones, I'm not getting up!"

"Very well, we'll talk here."

He turned his head to see Lilystar, a lithe pure white she-cat with rather large, yellow eyes. Lilystar sat down at his nest, tail curled neatly around her paws.

Nettlebreeze knew he needed to tell the story of what happened; he shifted in the nest, pain flaring though his body. "Rabbitstar called me to his den, form the looks of it, it was urgent. He told me that Mistynight had taken Robinshade's kit and he wanted me to either retrieve the kit or stop Mistynight's crimes. When I saw Mistynight crying over the dead Nettlekit, I knew I couldn't let her steal another kit. So I killed her. With blood stained paws I ran through the forest your warriors on my tail. I slid on some ice and came to the edge of a cliff." It pained Nettlebreeze to think about it.

"Go on." Lilystar ordered.

"They lunged at me so I panicked. I panicked and I jumped off the cliff." He saw the worried looks on their faces. "Don't worry," he concluded "Only Rabbitstar and I know about what I was sent to do."

The two cats shared a glance.

"Very well." Lilystar mewed. "You have done us a service. Rest here until you are fully healed and then we will escort you back to WindClan."

Nettlebreeze narrowed his eyes at them, but then thought better of it. He nodded, and rested his aching head on the soft moss.

He knew what he did was wrong, and he didn't understand why they were glad he did it, but he was glad things turned out the way it did. Once he was healed he would be returned to his territory where he would continue to be deputy and help run the clan again. He hoped when he did die, that StarClan would let him in with them, so he could look down and protect the future clans of the forest.


End file.
